Fastening device for packages.



E. C. LAWRENBE.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR PACKAGES- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 191.4.

1, 1 34,395& Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

ELIJAI-I G. LAWRENCE, 0F FITZWVILLIAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR PACKAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed June 5, 1914. Serial No. 843,158.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAH C. LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fitzwilliam, county of Cheshire, State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices for Packages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fastening devices, or means for securing cord, tape or similar material in place after it has been passed around a package.

While my invention is adapted for use in holding a string, tape or similar material in place on any and all packages, I will show and describe it in connection with a package of letters, as one of its uses is in connection with the temporary fastening together of a package of letters to facilitate their handling by the postal clerks and letter-carriers.

In the drawings in which like letters represent like parts, Figure 1 shows my fastening device holding a string in place which has been passed around a package of letters; Fig. :2 is an enlarged top view of the fastener shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2; and Fig. elis an end view taken from the bottom of Fig. 2.

A represents the fastening device complete, which is provided with an opening 0 through which a cord, tape or other suitable material is passed so to the fastener. In the drawings I have shown a cord B, one end of which is passed through the opening G and formed into a knot on the underside so as to hold it in place.

The fastening device is preferably stamped from a sheet of metal, and in the stamping operation a tongue or lip is stamped up so as to form the members D, E and F, the member D being stamped outward at an angle to the body G of the device A, the member E being formed by bending the tongue upon itself, as shown in Fig. 3, in a direction toward the body G, so as to form a wedge-shaped space between D and E, and the member F is formed by bending the tongue, as shown in Fig. 8. The member F is provided with two wings or ears H, H bent or curved, as shown in Fig. 4, outward, away from the body G of the fastening device. The wedgeshaped space between the members D and E acts as a lock to engage with the cord or other maas to be attached terial used, and lock it in place against slip or movement after the cord or other material has been passed around the package. By reason of its being wedge-shaped, a space is formed which will engage with cords or other material of varying diameters and readily lock them in place.

The operation of my fastening device is as follows: The cord having been attached in the opening C, and the package having been prepared, the device A is placed, as shown in Fig. 1, and held there while the cord is passed around the package, first, in the direction away from the tongue of the fastening device, as shown in Fig. 1, in which figure, the cord B has been marked B, B B B so as to show how it is passed around the package. It is passed around the end, as shown at B, brought down around the lower end and up, as shown at B, around the upper side of the member D of the tongue, then to the left, as shown at B under the package, up over the right side of the package, as shown at B around the upper side of the member D of the fastening device under the left wing H of the member F under the member F, then under the right wing H of the member F and lodged in the wedge-shaped space between the member E and the member D of the tongue, where it is locked against movement. The cord is also held in position by the portion of the cord marked B, which, as will be seen in Fig. 1, passes under the right wing and a portion of the member F, and this portion of the cord B tends to compress the portion of the cord B into the wedge-shaped space and assist in holding it in place. As shown and described, the cord surrounding the package is now firmly held in position.

When desired. to release the cord so as to have access to the package, the member B of the cord is pulled in a direction opposite to the member B so that B passes underneath the right wing H, the tongue F and the left wing H, thereby disengaging it with the fastening device and releasing all parts of the cord so that it is readily removed from the package.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A package-holder consisting of a cord or similar material, a fastening device of the character described attached-to said cord,

said fastening device consisting of a body member having a single tongue proJectmg therefrom' adapted, 'when in use, to engage With a plurality of portions of the cord, said tongue provided with means for engaging with a portion of the cord to hold it against movement, the said tongue and cordengaging meansbeing so proportioned that one portion ofthe cord tendsto hold another portion of the cord in engagement with said cord-engaging means.

2. In a fastening device of the character described, a body-member, a tongue projecting outward from one face thereon, said last-mentioned tongue being bent upon itself so as to form Wedge-shaped locking means adapted to engage with a cord to hold it against movement.

3. In a fastening device of the character described, a body member, a member projecting upward from said body, said member provided with means adapted to engage with a cord to hold it against movement and provided at its ends with outwardly extending wings adapted to guide the cord into the locking means.

t. In a fastening device of the'character described, a body member, a memberprojecting upward from said body member, said last-mentioned member being bent upon itself in a direction toward the body member and then again bent upon itself in a di- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing t Washington, D. G.

described, a body member, a member member, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fastening device of the character proe'cting upward from said body member, said last-mentioned member being bent upon itself in a direction toward the body memw' ber and then again bent upon itself in a direction substantially parallel to V the body member, theend of said member being provided with outwardly extending wings, substantially as set forth.

6; In a package-holder consisting of a cord or similar material, a fastening device of the character described attached to said cord, said fastening device having a body member, a tongue projecting outwardly from one face of said body member and provided with cord-engaging means, said tongue and cord-engaging means being so arranged and proportioned that, when in use, a portion of the cord will tend to engage with that portion of the cord lying in the cord-engaging means and hold same in said means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ELIJAH C. LAWRENCE. lVitnesses:

AMos J. BLAKE, J. K. RAND.

he Commissioner of Patents, 

